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Signature Track GuidebookHow to earn your Verified Certificate

General

What is Signature Track?

The Signature Track is a special option available with some Coursera courses.

Joining a course's Signature Track lets you securely link your coursework to your

identity i.e., it proves that you — and only you — did all the work! There’s no extra

coursework required in Signature Track. You simply follow the same format and

deadlines as required by all students.

What do I get when I complete a Signature Track course?

You'll receive a Verified Certificate issued by Coursera and the participating

university. You'll also get a Shareable Course Records page.

How can I use a Verified Certificate?

Use your Verified Certificate to advance in your career, gain valuable credentials, or

build on what you already know. List your Verified Certificate on your résumé/CV and

include it on social media/career profiles.

Which courses are eligible for Signature Track?

Check out our upcoming Signature Track courses.

What do I need to join Signature Track?

You’ll need a:

Webcam

Physical keyboard

And one of the following forms of picture ID: driver's license, passport, national ID

card, state or province ID card. We also accept international ID documents.

For payments, we accept most major credit cards and PayPal.

Do I need to redo any work that I've already submitted?

No. All of your previous work in the course will be saved and count toward your final

grade.

What happens if I don't join Signature Track? Is the course still free?

Signature Track is totally optional. You can still participate in the course for free and

earn a Statement of Accomplishment.

Do I need a webcam?

Yes. You’ll need to use the webcam throughout the course. Most standard built-in or

external webcams work quite well. We cannot accept scanned images or photo

uploads.

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Do I join Signature Track one course at a time?

Yes. You join the Signature Track for each individual course; your payment is for a

single course.

What is the refund policy? What if I can't finish my course?

You can receive a full refund up to two weeks after the Signature Track registration

deadline.

If you can’t complete the course, no problem. You’ll be given a coupon to re-enroll in

the Signature Track for a future session of the same course absolutely free.

Can I get university credit for taking a course in the Signature Track?

Your Verified Certificate does not include course credit towards a degree, nor does it

make you a student at the participating university. Instead, the Verified Certificate

proves you met the passing criteria of your online course offered by a university on

Coursera.

Can I receive a Verified Certificate for a course I already completed?

Unfortunately not. You must complete the Signature Track for a course to be eligible

for a Verified Certificate.

Joining Signature Track

How do I join Signature Track for a course?

Find a Signature Track eligible course. Then click the "Enroll in Signautre Track" icon

to join.

Already enrolled in a course? You still may be able to sign up for the course’s

Signature Track. Just visit your course's homepage and check for a link in the top

right hand corner.

When can I join Signature Track for my course?

For courses 7 weeks or longer, you can join Signature Track in the first three weeks.

For courses 6 weeks or shorter, you can join in the first two weeks of the course.

What is the price to join Signature Track?

It varies. The price is displayed on the each course’s Signature Track sign-up page.

Do I have to join Signature Track?

Signature Track is optional. You can still participate in the course for free.

What is the difference between the Signature Track and the regular course?

When you join your course’s Signature Track, you’ll use your Signature Profile to link

your identity to each piece of graded coursework you submit for your course. Also,

when you successfully complete the course, you’ll earn a Verified Certificate; students

in the regular course receive a Statement of Accomplishment.

What is a Signature Profile? How do I create one?

A Signature Profile proves that you — and only you — did the coursework.

You’ll create a Signature Profile by:

1. Recording your unique typing pattern

2. Taking a webcam photo of yourself

3. Taking a webcam photo of your picture ID

Don’t worry, we’ll guide you through each step to help you create your Signature

Profile. What’s more, you only need to create your Signature Profile once when you

join your first Signature Track course.

When do I create my Signature Profile?

You should create one immediately after you register. However, if you need more

time, you can elect to complete it up to 10 days after registering. We'll be sure to

remind you when you visit your course page.

What types of IDs do you accept?

We only accept the following types of picture IDs:

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Driver’s license

Passport

National ID card

State or Province ID card

Please make sure your picture ID shows your full name and a photo of you. No

photocopies or expired IDs. If you are under 18 and don’t have any of the above IDs

we can accept a student ID.

My picture ID has my name and photo on opposite sides. What should I do?

1. For the photo of yourself: Hold the photo side of your ID card in view of the

webcam. Make sure that you and the photo on your card are visible in the picture.

2. For the photo of your ID: Photograph the side of your ID card with your name.

I received an email saying there was a problem with my ID. What should I

do?

We may have had a problem processing your picture ID. Click the link in the email

message to resubmit your picture ID.

What should I do if I have problems joining Signature Track?

We’re happy to help! Just contact us here.

How do you keep my information secure?

Your privacy is important to us. That’s why all data that you provide to us is securely

encrypted during transmission. When we receive your ID information, it will only be

used to verify your name and identity. The photo of your ID document will be kept

private and deleted after we have verified your name and identity. Your headshot

photo will remain only as part of your private Signature Profile, and will only be used

by us for the purposes of identity verification.

What types of payment methods do you accept?

We accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, JCB and PayPal.

Technical Requirements

What are the technical requirements to join Signature Track?

A computer and webcam

A physical keyboard

One of the following supported browsers: Google Chrome (newest), Firefox (23+),

Safari (newest), Internet Explorer (9, 10).

For more information, please refer to our browser help page.

Can I use a mobile device?

Mobile devices and tablets (iOS, Android, etc.) are not yet supported in Signature

Track. However, you can still use a mobile device to watch course videos.

Do I need a webcam?

Yes, you’ll need to use a webcam throughout your course.

Most types of basic webcams will work well for the Signature Track. Many computers

and laptops have integrated, built-in webcams, which are typically adequate. If your

computer does not have a built-in webcam, you should be able to connect an external

webcam to your computer’s USB port. If you have a digital camera, you might be able

to use that as a webcam. Read this wikiHow article for more details.

Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting your Signature Profile typing pattern

The following may affect the matching of your typing sample:

Using a significantly different style of keyboard than the one you used to create

your Signature Profile. Your typing pattern on a QWERTY keyboard for example

is typically similar across different devices. However, if you switch to a different

style keyboard, you may need to contact us to adjust your profile.

Changing typing patterns due to injury or fatigue. If this is the case, just contact

us and we can help you adjust your profile.

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Using a mobile device such as a tablet or smartphone

Troubleshooting your webcam

If you can’t see your face in the webcam area on your computer screen, please try

the following:

Check that your webcam is enabled and connected to your computer. Try a test

page like www.testwebcam.com.

If you see a dialogue box entitled “Adobe Flash Player Settings” in the center of

the webcam field on the Coursera page, first click "Close" then click the “Allow”

button.

If the webcam area is blank, right click on the webcam area and select “Settings.”

In the Settings menu, click the webcam icon and change the camera option to

match the webcam that you are using.

Make sure you have the latest version of Adobe Flash Player.

Check that you have the latest version of your browser or try using a different

browser.

If you’re using an external webcam, verify that you’ve installed your webcam’s

most recent driver software from the manufacturer.

Try refreshing the page.

Note to Google Chrome users: If the webcam area on the page is blank, and you can’t

access the Flash settings menu, click the small “camera” icon to the right of your

browser bar and select “Always allow www.coursera.org to access your camera and

microphone.”

You can also try switching to HTML5 webcam access by clicking the "Switch to

HTML5" link in the lower right hand corner of the webcam window.

Still stuck? We’re here to help. Just contact us about your issue.

During Your Course

What changes after I join Signature Track?

You’ll use your Signature Profile to confirm your identity with each piece of graded

coursework you submit, such as quizzes, exams, assignments, etc.

Remember, you’ll have the same amount of coursework and the same deadlines in

Signature Track as you would in the free course.

Do I need to redo any of the coursework I’ve already submitted before

joining?

No. How awesome is that! All of your previous work in the course will be saved and

count toward your final grade.

How is my score calculated in the Signature Track?

When you join a course’s Signature Track you’ll follow the same grading policy as the

regular course. Check your syllabus for your course’s grading policy.

Will I be penalized if I’m unable to successfully confirm my identity with my

typing pattern or webcam?

No. Everyone has technical problems every once in awhile. Just check out our

troubleshooting section for some tips on how to fix your issue. And don’t worry if

you’re having a technical issue. You can still save and submit your work; it will just be

marked as unconfirmed. Make sure to resolve any issues before your next quiz and

you’ll be all set!

Can I skip confirming my identity?

Do not skip confirming your identity when you submit your assignments. If you

purposefully skip this step for a significant portion of your assignments you may lose

your eligibility for a Verified Certificate.

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Verified Certificate

What does a Verified Certificate look like?

Features:

University and Coursera affiliation: Please note that this affiliation does not make

you a student at the issuing university.

Your name and identity: Coursera confirms your identity on the Verified

Certificate.

Certification code URL: This unique certificate code lets others check the

authenticity of your Verified Certificate on Coursera’s website.

Where can I access my Verified Certificates and Course Records?

First, sign in to your account. You can access all your course records by clicking your

name in the top right corner and then “Course Records.”

When your Verified Certificate is available, it will be accessible from your course

records by clicking “Download Verified Certificate.”

My course has ended but I have not received my Verified Certificate. What

should I do?

It typically takes up to an extra week after the final course grading to issue Verified

Certificates. If it’s been longer, please contact us.

How can I share my Verified Certificate? What is the Verify URL?

When you click “Download Certificate” the URL that appears is your unique URL. Use

this URL on sites like LinkedIn and share it on Facebook, Twitter or Google+ to show

what you’ve accomplished.

Course Records

How can I share my Course Record?

Click the Share button on your Course Record page to share your final grade (not

shown on your Verified Certificate) and other details about your course.

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Can I list a course on my resume or CV?

Definitely! Many Coursera students list their courses on their résumé, CV or even

their LinkedIn profiles.

Refund Policy

What is the refund policy?

If you choose to cancel your participation in a course’s Signature Track, we’ll offer

you a complete refund up until two weeks after the Signature Track registration

deadline.

After this period has elapsed, if you’re unable to complete your course you’ll be

issued a voucher valid for one year from the date of issue. This coupon will only be

valid for the next offering of the exact same course. Please be aware that we cannot

provide guarantees for class repeat schedules.

If you’re found to be in violation of Coursera’s Honor Code or Terms of Service, you’ll

be removed from the class and will not be issued a refund or coupon.

How do I request a refund? How do I request a voucher for a future session of

the course?

If you’d like to request a refund, please contact us.

A voucher will automatically be issued to you if you can’t successfully complete your

course.

How does a Signature Track voucher work?

When the same course is offered again, just enroll and sign up for Signature Track!

Your voucher will automatically be applied to your account at checkout. Please note

that this coupon will only be valid for one year from the date of issue. We cannot

guarantee class repeat schedules.

Financial Aid

What is Coursera Financial Aid? How do I apply?

Coursera Financial Aid is a special program to give Coursera students who face

significant economic hardship the chance to earn Verified Certificates by participating

in Signature Track.

To apply for Coursera Financial Aid, visit your course’s Signature Track sign-up page

and complete the Signature Profile creation process. On the final “Payment

Information” step, you’ll see a link to a financial aid application for the course. Once

you submit your application, you’ll be given provisional access to your course’s

Signature Track pending review of your application.

If you want to support students who receive financial aid, visit the Coursera Store. All

profits from the store go directly to the Coursera Financial Aid program.

Who is eligible for Coursera Financial Aid?

To be eligible for Coursera Financial Aid, you must:BROWSE

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Demonstrate that paying the cost of joining a course's Signature Track would

cause economic hardship.

Demonstrate that the Verified Certificate is of significant value to your education

or career.

Demonstrate values of academic integrity and contribute positively to the course's

community.

Honor Code

What is the Coursera Honor Code?

I will register for only one account.

My answers to homework, quizzes and exams will be my own work (except for

assignments that explicitly permit collaboration).

I will not make solutions to homework, quizzes or exams available to anyone else.

This includes both solutions written by me, as well as any official solutions

provided by the course staff.

I will not engage in any other activities that will dishonestly improve my results or

dishonestly improve/hurt the results of others.

What actions will be taken if there is suspected violation of the Honor Code?

We will notify any student that is suspected of violating the Honor Code, academic

integrity policies or course policies. We take academic integrity very seriously and

expect you to as well.

Students found to be in violation of course policies or the Honor Code may be subject

to any of the following penalties, among others, at Coursera’s discretion:

Have their scores penalized/invalidated

Have their account suspended

Be removed from the Signature Track without entitlement to a refund

Have their coursework and certificates invalidated

Accessibility

What special accommodations does Coursera offer to those with disabilities?

We strive to make our content accessible to everyone, including those with

disabilities. We continue to make our web platform friendlier to screen readers and

other accessibility-related software. We also provide closed captioning on all of our

lecture videos.

If you have any accessibility questions, please contact accessibility@coursera.org.

General

Joining Signature Track

Technical Requirements

Troubleshooting

During Your Course

Verified Certificate

Course Records

Refund Policy

Financial Aid

Honor Code

Accessibility

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